Holiday Food Tips for Your Aging Parents: 5 Great Foods to Enjoy

 

 

Holiday Food Tips for Your Aging Parents 5 Great Foods to Enjoy

On Monday, we started our holiday food tips by giving you a guide to foods you should try to avoid during the holidays.

Today, we’ll talk about several foods you’ll find on most holiday tables and throughout the season that are safe and healthy for all members of the family to enjoy.

Nuts

Most holidays aren’t complete without a nutcracker or listening to Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. A great holiday staple, nuts are high in vitamin E and reduce oxidative stress in your arteries. Some nuts, such as walnuts, are a great source of good fats, which can help control LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

And, if you’re actually a fan of chestnuts, roasted chestnuts are lower in fat than most nuts and have a number of health benefits that make them a great addition to any diet.

As with any fatty foods, eat them within reason.

Sweet Potatoes

Skip the marshmallows and butter and you have a great nutrient-rich vegetable that can be used in a number of dishes. Not only do they taste great–on their own and as a part of dish–sweet potatoes help fight against aging, cancer, and arthritis and are rich in fiber, Vitamin A, potassium, and phytochemicals.

Along with sweet potatoes, take note of other orange veggies, such as pumpkins, carrots, and squashes, all of which which are full of Vitamin A.

If you just have to have a piece of pie for dessert, go for the sweet potato and pumpkin pies instead of the pecan and other pies–but again, don’t over indulge!

Berries

Cranberries are another one of those foods that pop up again and again throughout the holiday season, whether in a sauce, jelly, punch or some kind of dessert.

Fortunately, cranberries–along with blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.–are great because they’re antioxidant-rich. Studies have shown that berries can help prevent chronic disease such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

If you’d like to add berries to your diet, regardless of the form, remember to keep the sugar to a minimum.

Yogurt

Yogurt aids in digestion by helping to maintain and restore healthy bacteria in our body. During this holiday season, think about dipping your veggies into non-fat yogurt instead of ranch, or try eating yogurt and berries for dessert.

Lean Proteins (e.g. Turkey and Chicken)

Protein helps to increase/maintain muscle mass and strength. The healthiest options when it comes to meat are the lean proteins, such as turkey and chicken. Luckily, turkey is usually the star of most holiday meals. When choosing your cut of roast, stick to the breast.

As we’ve mentioned before, keeping an eye on what you eat and how you eat will help keep you healthy for the round of holiday seasons to come. Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean bad-tasting food, so stick to some of our holiday food tips, and you should be well on your way to a healthy holiday season!

If you have any questions or comments, let us know by connecting with us on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you!

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

 

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photo credit: ToniVC via photopin cc

“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”

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4 Foods to Avoid During the Holidays

 

 

4 Foods to Avoid During the Holidays

For many, the holidays are filled with friends, family, celebratory events and above all, lots and lots of food.

But as much as we love to indulge during the holidays, not watching what you eat can drastically affect your health–and the health of an aging parent.

So with Thanksgiving now under our belts, we’re thinking about holiday eating tips. Throughout this week, we’re going to cover several tips to help you healthily eat your way through the holidays.

Today, we’ll start with foods you should try to avoid.

Raw or undercooked eggs*

For many, eggnog is a holiday tradition, but the risk of food-borne illnesses is heightened because it contains a large amount of raw eggs. To avoid such risks, it’s advised that you stay away from products that contain raw or undercooked eggs.

Other things to avoid that often contain raw or undercooked eggs:

  • Salad dressings (e.g. Caesar)
  • Raw cookie dough or cake batter (a grandchild’s favorite)
  • Sauces like hollandaise and mayonnaise

*Foods made from commercially pasteurized eggs are safe to eat.

Foods high in sodium (salt)

The holiday season is also a time when the sodium content in food is particularly high. Reducing sodium can help prevent water retention and high blood pressure. Avoid over salting your food and, if possible, see if the family cook can use low sodium stocks and seasonings (especially in the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes).

Processed foods

In addition to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and weight gain, processed foods such as white bread, soda, potato chips and candy can cause GI issues (e.g. bloating and cramping).

Though it might be tempting to eat these kinds of processed foods that often grace the snack tables at holiday parties, it’s best to avoid them. If you can’t resist, then try balancing out your diet with foods that slowly digest such as lean protein (e.g. chicken breast) and healthy fats like avocado or natural peanut butter.

Other foods to avoid (Typically found on appetizer trays):

  • Soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert and varieties of blue cheese
  • Refrigerated smoked seafoods from the deli or grocery story–unless in fully-cooked dishes like casseroles
  • Meat spreads, pates, or luncheon meats
  • Unpasteurized juices, such as apple cider (check the label for warnings)

It might seem obnoxious to constantly check yourself as you try to enjoy the holidays, but keeping on eye on what you eat (and how you eat) will help keep you healthy for the round of holiday seasons to come.

If you have any questions or comments, let us know by connecting with us on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you!

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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photo credit: avlxyz via photopin cc

“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”

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